Join leaders from academia, government, civil society, and industry at the intersection of cities, climate science, and innovation at the 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C24), taking place online and in Montreal in September 2024.
About the Conference
Building on the success of the previous past Innovate4Cities conferences, the 2024 edition is geared towards contributing valuable insights and best practices to shape global climate policies and advance collaborative solutions, as we navigate the climate challenges of today and tomorrow.
Key highlights and outcomes
- Shape the global discourse on climate change and cities through sharing regionally-grounded knowledge – regardless of the language
- Participate in creative discussions and exchange views on challenges, solutions, and pathways forward.
- Understand the latest scientific climate research
- Connect with experts across sectors and progress on innovative cross-sector solutions that address critical sustainability gaps
- Contribute to the body of work shaping climate processes including informing the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Climate Change & Cities
- Help update City Research and Innovation Agenda GRAA/CRIA
- Interact with new and familiar faces within the Innovate4Cities community
Themes
- Biodiversity & Resilience: Cities play a key role in preserving biodiversity, which can enhance resilience through integrated climate action. One of the Innovate4Cities conference’s priorities is advancing understanding of nature-based infrastructure projects and strengthening synergies between local climate initiatives and global biodiversity agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and IPCC-IPBES report.
- Digitalization: With the advancement of digitalization and AI, cities can now access institutional data analysis tools allowing rapid interpretation of information. The 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference will focus on understanding how digitalization impacts decision-making processes and its potential to transform systems, while also showcasing local efforts to drive digitalization for climate action.
- Finance: Current financial management falls short in meeting the requirements for a sustainable future, hindering investment in local climate action initiatives. The 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference will focus on understanding existing financial gaps, showcasing projects with local-level approaches to finance municipal research, innovation, and interventions that support cities in their climate-resilient efforts.
- Multi-level Governance and Partnerships: Without stronger coordination , urbanization, local practices, and consumption habits may continue in unsustainable patterns. The 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference will showcase the diverse types of knowledge and science needed for cross-sectoral and multilevel governmental collaborations, emphasizing interactions between government and business stakeholders to foster networked resilience across cities and advance transformative climate change responses.
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Join us from September to immerse yourself in the nexus of cities, climate science, and policy innovation. Be an integral part of the Conference, where networking, knowledge exchange, and partnership opportunities abound. Register your interest in attending the upcoming conference in September in Montreal, for the opportunity to co-create the future of sustainable cities – the time for transformative action is now.
Co-hosting organizations
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy
GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, uniting a global coalition of over 13,000 cities and local governments and 100+ supporting partners. The cities and partners of GCoM share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and towards a resilient and low-emission society. GCoM serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional networks, national governments, and other partners to achieve our vision.
With the coalition comprising cities across 6 continents and 146 countries, representing over 1 billion people or more than 13 percent of the global population, GCoM brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Innovate4Cities Conference.
To learn more about GCoM, please visit the website, or follow GCoM on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. As the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system, UN-Habitat has programmes in over 90 countries. UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind.
UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. On this note, it proudly co-hosts the Innovate4Cities conference, supporting policymakers and communities to create sustainable and climate-resilient cities and towns.
To know more, visit www.unhabitat.org
Call for Session Abstracts is now open
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 10 MAY 2024
Join us in shaping the I4C24 program by submitting a session abstract. Whether it is research (including grey literature), or an interactive session, contributions from people working in the field are key to fostering evidence-led dialogue and knowledge exchange.
Submissions are encouraged from all backgrounds, especially from marginalized and underrepresented communities, as well as those from the Global South. Unique perspectives are crucial in ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive discourse.
Submissions must be accompanied by a description of no more than 350 words. Where themes and delivery formats are complementary, the I4C24 Organizing Team may request a combination of sessions to maximize impact.
Submission categories
- Research papers
- Innovative collaboration
- Interactive panels and showcases
- Creative works
- Innovative methodologies
- Hackathon